The present invention relates to a resist film removing composition and a method for manufacturing a thin film circuit element using the composition. More particularly the present invention relates to a resist film removing composition used for manufacturing a thin film circuit element having an organic insulation film, the resist film removing composition being capable of easily removing the resist film remaining after etching in a short time without swelling the organic insulation film, and a method for manufacturing a high quality thin film circuit element having an organic insulation film using the composition.
Electronic circuit devices such as a liquid crystal display device and a semiconductor device are generally manufactured by forming a thin film on a substrate by utilizing a sputtering technique, applying a resist thereon to form a resist film, forming a predetermined resist pattern by, for example, a photolithography, etching a non-masked area using the resist pattern as a mask to form a circuit and removing the resist film remaining thereon. In particular, in the case that pixel electrodes are formed with Indium Tin Oxide (ITO), the substrate on which the resist film is formed is generally wet etched using an aqueous solution containing aqua regia, or hydrochloric acid and ferric chloride and then the resist film is removed using a resist film removing liquid. However, if an organic insulation film comprising an acrylic resin, a polyimide resin or the like exists upon a removal of the resist film, a conventional resist film removing liquid (disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 8(1996)-123043) swells the organic insulation film, resulting in a problem that the organic insulation layer is not closely contacted with an orientation layer in a subsequent step.
Accordingly, upon forming a thin film pattern such as a liquid crystal display device and a semiconductor device, it has been desired to develop a resist film removing composition that can remove easily the resist film remaining after etching without swelling the organic insulation film comprising an acrylic resin or a polyimide resin, if it exists.
An object of the present invention is to provide a resist film removing composition used for manufacturing a thin film circuit element having an organic insulation film, the composition being capable of removing a resist layer film remaining after etching easily in a short time without swelling the organic insulation film and to provide a method for manufacturing a high quality thin film circuit element having an organic insulation film using the composition.
Through intense studies to attain the object mentioned above, the present inventors found that a resist film removing composition comprising an alkanolamine having 3 or more carbon atoms, a water-miscible solvent and water in a specific ratio can meet the object. The present invention has been accomplished based on such discoveries.
Accordingly, the present invention provides (1) a resist film removing composition used for manufacturing a thin film circuit element having an organic insulation film, comprising 50 to 90% by weight of an alkanolamine having 3 or more carbon atoms, 8 to 40% by weight of a water-miscible solvent and 2 to 30% by weight of water and (2) a method for manufacturing a thin film circuit element having an organic insulation film, comprising the step of removing a resist film remaining after etching by using the resist film removing composition.